Owning a vehicle is a right of passage, but it doesn’t come cheap. The annual cost of car ownership is always on the rise, with the AAA’s 2024 Your Driving Cost study putting the current estimate at $12,297 per year — or over $1,000 monthly.
Understandably, drivers everywhere are looking for ways to cut costs wherever possible. While preventative maintenance might help your used car, nothing quite beats investing in an extended warranty.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in an extended car warranty and Endurance as a provider, but you want to be sure you choose the right plan for your vehicle. We know that choosing extended auto protection can be a little overwhelming if you’re new to it, so we’ve put together this helpful guide to make the process easier. Keep reading for the recommended steps you should take to reach your ideal contract.
Research Common Issues for Your Specific Vehicle
There are multiple levels of Endurance coverage, with each protecting a different range of components and peace of mind. But which components should you prioritize? The best way to decide is by researching common issues for your specific vehicle. Of course, a quick online search should yield some good results, but there are a few websites that are dedicated to this sort of thing:
- RepairPal: Endurance and RepairPal are repair network partners, and we wholeheartedly recommend their website as an accurate source of information on individual vehicles. Search your make and model to see a reliability score and a list of the most common problems (plus the components involved).
- Consumer Reports: Another great resource for car owners, Consumer Reports has detailed rundowns of most vehicles with common and potential trouble spots. Their website does require a paid membership, but it’s useful for more than just cars.
- Car Complaints: This website acts as a comprehensive database of complaints lodged against vehicle models broken down by year. It uses simple bar charts to visualise the common issues, so you can see which components might cause you trouble later down the line.
- NHTSA: By visiting the NHTSA website you can see if your vehicle has ever been recalled, as well as similar models produced by the manufacturer. While recalled components should have been replaced at a dealership, a problematic history means they’re more likely to be problematic in the future too.
Once you have your list of common issues, that should act as the basis for your coverage requirements. At Endurance, we’re always willing to be flexible, so if a plan doesn’t quite cover all the components you’d like it to, we can tailor a bespoke program that adds whatever’s missing.
Assess Your Budget and Coverage Needs
Budget is also a key consideration. Ideally, you want to find that perfect balance between cost and coverage. You can shop our eStore to see plan costs at a glance, get a feel for what’s in your price range, and then compare what’s affordable and take it from there.
As you’d expect, the higher the level of coverage, the higher the annual/monthly cost, but also the more driving confidence you’ll experience. Our exclusionary Supreme plan covers almost everything between your bumpers (besides a small list of exclusions), so you can be certain that should you find yourself stranded at the roadside, we’ll make sure you’re well looked after.
You may find that a plan is financially within reach, in which case it would be worth chatting with an Endurance advisor. If some of the covered components aren’t hugely important to you, we can potentially figure out a reduced level of protection that brings costs in line with your expectations.
Utilize Expert Guidance and Recommendations
As with any major financial commitment, thorough research is highly recommended. Endurance was the country’s Best Vehicle Protection Plan Provider in 2023 and 2024, and there are plenty of guides available with recommendations on Endurance plans for different circumstances. While all of these are great resources, you can’t quite beat the expertise of an Endurance advisor, and our award-winning team is contactable via phone or email.
Just get in touch, and they’ll be more than happy to walk you through the available plans and give personalized recommendations. Make sure to give them as much detail as you can (such as your driving habits and vehicle history), so they have all the information they need to give you the best advice possible.
Compare Coverage Options for Different Plans
Ultimately, when choosing a plan, you want to be certain it covers everything that you need it to. Therefore, it makes sense to line up those that you’re considering and compare each of the areas that are most important to you. You can see an overview of each protection program on the Endurance website, where the core options are placed side by side for your convenience. If you’d like to go into more detail, you can also take a look at some sample contracts that will allow you to weigh up specifics around key areas like the engine, transmission, or more advanced tech.
Our three most popular coverage plan options include:
Endurance Secure Plus Plan
One of our most affordable plans, Secure Plus, is ideal for older cars with more miles on the clock. It’s designed to look out for your vehicle’s most crucial components, such as the powertrain, plus some important electrical parts:
- Air conditioning
- Brakes
- Drive Axle
- Electrical Components
- Engine
- Hybrid Coverage
- Steering
- Transfer Case
- Transmission
- Turbo/Supercharger
Endurance Superior Plan
The Superior plan is a stated component contract with extensive protection for the most common car parts that break down over time. While not fully comprehensive, key differences between Superior and Secure Plus include your cooling system, fuel system, and suspension:
- Air conditioning
- Brakes
- Cooling system
- Drive Axle
- Electrical Components
- Engine
- Suspension System
- Fuel System
- Hybrid Coverage
- Steering
- Transfer Case
- Transmission
- Turbo/Supercharger
Endurance Supreme Plan
Our most popular auto protection plan, Supreme, is also our most comprehensive plan. It’s as close to a new manufacturer’s warranty, or near bumper-to-bumper coverage, as you’re likely to find and looks out for your:
- Air conditioning
- Brakes
- Cooling system
- Drive Axle
- Electrical Components
- Engine
- Suspension System
- Fuel System
- Gasket
- Hybrid Coverage
- Steering
- Transfer Case
- Transmission
- Turbo/Supercharger
Endurance Warranty Benefits
One thing you don’t need to compare between Endurance plans is the added benefits and perks you receive – something other car warranty companies often forget. When an unexpected breakdown occurs, you can take your car to any ASE-certified repair facility through our partnership with RepairPal. In addition, every Endurance vehicle service contract comes with 24/7 roadside assistance (including towing, fuel delivery, and lockout services), rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage as standard.
If that wasn’t enough, all Endurance customers also receive a year’s access to our Elite Benefits. This adds up to four tire repairs or replacements annually, key fob replacement, up to $500 in collision discounts, and up to $1,000 in total loss protection.*
Why Comprehensive Coverage Matters
Car ownership can be incredibly expensive, and a single breakdown could set you back hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars in one fell swoop. That’s a lot to have weighing on your mind when you’re out on the road, so comprehensive coverage is an almost essential investment. Knowing you have all of those key components protected means you can worry less about paying for them to be repaired, and with those added Endurance perks in your arsenal, you know you’ll never be stranded at the roadside.
To give you some perspective, some of the most expensive car repairs and mechanical breakdowns include:
- Replacing a head gasket: between $1,967 and $2,277
- Cylinder head replacement: between $3,677 and $4,036
- Transmission replacement: between $5,584 and $5,789
- Steering rack replacement: between $1,846 and $2,176
- Catalytic converter replacement: between $2,278 and $2,426
- Powertrain control module (PCM) repair: between $1032 and $1102
- Axle shaft repair: between $877 and $929
- Airbag module replacement: $773 and $802
- Camshaft repair: between $1,493 and $1,734
- Clutch replacement: between $1,309 and $1,487
- Radiator replacement: between $1,068 and $1,253
With the right Endurance plan in place, however, those bills could come down to nothing (deductibles, of course, apply). When the worst happens, all you have to do is get your vehicle to the nearest certified auto shop, let them know you have an Endurance membership, and we’ll take care of the rest. Your wallet doesn’t even need to leave your pocket.
Endurance Auto Protection Covers Mechanical Issues
Since opening our doors in 2006, Endurance Warranty Services has made a name for itself as America’s Best Vehicle Protection Plan Provider. In the almost 20 years since then, we’ve helped thousands of drivers save serious money on the cost of car ownership by covering the most common mechanical issues, such as:
- Powertrain failure: The powertrain consists of all the components that keep your vehicle moving forward, making it arguably the most important system under the hood. This includes your engine, transmission, differential, driveshaft, and transfer case.
- Air conditioning faults: Whatever the weather, air conditioning can be the difference between driving in comfort and finding it unbearable. With Endurance, a range of A/C components, such as your condenser, compressor, and evaporator, are covered repairs.
- Steering: You won’t get very far without your steering. Even the most basic Endurance contract covers all the internally lubricated parts contained within the steering box.
Here to Help You Find Your Ideal Extended Auto Protection Plan
Whether you’re a casual commuter, a high-mileage car owner, or even if you drive a luxury vehicle, Endurance has a vehicle service contract or extended auto warranty for you. If you want to find out more about our plans and which is best for your needs and budget, no one knows more than our Endurance advisors.
Call the main Endurance phone number at (800) 253-8203 to request a FREE quote, or shop our eStore to check out plan options and pricing. Our extended warranty blog also has plenty of articles comparing extended warranty companies, claims process FAQs, and saving money on auto repairs. Make sure to take a look and see if you’d like to do some more reading!